Chris Columbus isn’t quite the all-conquering name he was when he helmed the first two Harry Potter movies, but producing The Help has upped his dwindling power. Now Deadline reports that he has acquired the rights to John Grisham’s baseball-themed novel, Calico Joe. The book was published in April by Doubleday and has topped The New York Times best seller list ever since its debut.
The story is set in the world of major league baseball and follows Joe Castle, a rookie prospect from Arkansas who quickly gains a massive fan base, until one fateful pitch changes it all. The plot concerns the New York Mets pitcher who threw the fastball that changes Joe’s life, and how the relationship with his son is altered after that one throw.
Columbus commented, “When I finished this beautiful, deeply moving novel, I immediately started to see the movie in my head. I knew that I had to write and direct Calico Joe. The story deals with universal themes of betrayal, tragedy and redemption. It has the potential to be a classic film and I am honored to be a part of it.”